#23 Brett Stewart
I've always been a huge fan of this bloke and that has never changed, he's one of my favourite players. Around 05-08, this guy had a legit claim to being possibly the best fullback in the competition as well as being maybe the fastest guy in the comp. But come 2009, the rocketing career of Brett Stewart came tumbling down. Initially set to prominently feature in the NRL's main ad campaigns for the year, the ads were halted after Stewart was charged with two counts of sexual assault on a teenage girl. Despite eventually having the charges cleared, the NRL suspended Stewart for the first four games of the season. He'd go on to play only 5 games in 2009 after injury ravaged the rest of his year, yet still he amassed a staggering 6 tries in those 5 games. 2010 brought even worse fortune as Stewart was only able to play 1 game. Stewart's career had degenerated from one of the games brightest stars to being decimated by injuries as well as having his image smeared through the media and of course the fans were quick to jump all over him, regardless of what the courts may have decided, Brett was a "rapist",
Everyone loves a good negative story
But in 2011 the man known as "Snake" came slithering back, putting up 15 tries in 20 games as part of a dominant Manly outfit that won 17 of the 20 games he appeared in en route to the second Grand Final win of his career. Still, many people seemed to sleep on the Snake's return, either they weren't paying enough attention, or they simply didn't want to give him the respect he deserved. So in 2012, the Snake was once again up to his old tricks, 21 games, 14 tries, and all three Origin's for New South Wales, finally getting back his number 1 blue jumper for the first time since 2008. He may have lost a little bit of his speed, but he's still bloody quick, and he's back. If you jumped on the Stewart hating bandwagon, it's time to jump off and respect one of the greatest players in the game.
One of the most brilliant plays of the last couple of seasons
As I said earlier, I've always been a fan of this guy, but I really do believe that the injuries and the legal issues have lead to Stewart not getting anywhere near the recognition he deserves. Stewart isn't just one of the best try scorers in the competition, he's one of the greatest try scorers in the history of the sport. Let's break down his try scoring exploits
- Over 159 career NRL games, he's amassed 127 tries, that's a strike rate of 80% which is simply amazing.
- In 16 finals appearances, he's scored 13 tries, a strike rate of 81%
- In 8 Origin appearances for NSW, he's scored 5 tries, 62%
- and, although the sample size makes it fairly redundant, in his 1 game for Australia, he scored, 100%.
For comparisons sake, let's check out some of the other elite try scorers in the game today and see how they stack up
- Ben Barba, 62 tries in 80 NRL games, 77%
- Akuila Uate, 70 tries in 90 NRL games, 77%
- Billy Slater, 140 tries in 224 NRL games, 62%
- Manu Vatuvei, 102 tries in 152 NRL games, 67%
- Nathan Merritt, 137 tries in 200 NRL games, 68%
Long story short, none of these guys can touch the strike rate of the Snake, many of them aren't even particularly close.
I always found it kind of odd that Snake's don't even have legs
Stewart has achieved all of this, not only battling injury and legal issues, but also while battling diabetes, taking five insulin injections daily and up to 20 sugar tests on playing days. Stewart has to inject insulin before all three meals, as well as before sleeping. Stewart's outstanding performances serve as a great inspiration to others with diabetes and he has done his part to help raise diabetes awareness. Another of the many hurdles that Stewart has had to overcome in his career.
Manly had special Snake jerseys designed to help promote Diabetes awareness
Stewart's most impressive trait is his blinding speed. While injuries have slowed him down, he's still one of the fastest players around. He's quick off the mark, but when you see him chew up a large portion of the field is when his speed truly shines, he's produced many highlight reel worthy try savers off opponents interceptions. So often interceptions result in an aimless chase right down the other end of the field, but if you make an intercept against a team with Brett Stewart, don't be too surprised when he mows you down. Like the best fullbacks, he's fearless and more than willing to put his body on the line, such as when he was knocked out in the 2007 final against Melbourne. He'll leap up for the high ball without concern and he'll willingly get in front of the biggest blokes to defend his try line. Perhaps the most underrated aspect of Stewart's game however is his playmaking ability. For as great of a try scorer as he is, he's also a fantastic player when it comes to involving himself in the back line as a distributor, and it may surprise many to learn that his 14 tries in 2012 were actually surpassed by the number of assists he had on the year with 15, that's as many as his Manly halfback team mate Daly Cherry-Evans. When you combine his incredible speed, courage on the field, playmaking, experience including multiple Origin's and Grand Finals, along with the mental strength to overcome multiple severe injuries, extended legal issues, and juggling his diabetes, you've got one hell of a player.
Still about as fast as they come
Check back in tomorrow for number 22, not long to go now until we break through the 20 mark. Don't let the drug scandal bring your excitement for the season down, bring on NRL 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment